Calling all Copepod culturing experts!

[1epauletteshark]

I don't use a filter on my copepod cultures but that's my personal preference. I use 1 gallon (about 4L) glass jars with just some rigid airline tubing going in them.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/phytoplankton-and-copepod-system.961248/

That's another thread showing some ways people have their cultures set up. Is the kit you are getting have all the pods/amphipods/rots/phyto in the same culture or all seperate

All separate

 

[1epauletteshark]

Is a small 6 liter aquarium with a filter and everything ok to culture copepods?

Sorry i meant amphipods here

 

[BlueFynn_Ian]

Sorry i meant amphipods here

Yup that will work for amphipods, you'll eventually get a bunch living in the filter section too. So just dump them in the tank whenever you clean the filter.

 

[SoCalSauce]

Found another product from the same seller would this be better for my aquarium? It is only 14 dollars AUD and the other was 12.5 so no real difference in price. (this is just the one time kit, have decided to go with culturing phytoplankton and Tigger copepods)

- 250 ml Phytoplankton
- 250 ml Copepods
- 250 ml Rotifera
- 250 ml Tigriopus
- 250 ml Amphipods
I kind of like the idea of Amphipods and I really don't need the 500ml of rotifer. Does anyone culture/breed amphipods with tips?

Hey do you mind sharing the sellers info?

 

[1epauletteshark]

Hey do you mind sharing the sellers info?

Its a site specifically in Indonesia but here you go https://www.tokopedia.com/tokopeha/etalase/makanan-ikan-coral-macroalgae
Just scroll down to the bottom and you will find the copepods and macroalgae.

 

[TannerC91]

Following along. I also would like to start culturing phyto and pods.

 

[1epauletteshark]

Still wondering what to do with the extra 500ml of rotifers, can i try to culture them and keep them alive by feeding phyto?

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Hey do you mind sharing the sellers info?

If you are looking for USA-based seller, then here is a suggestion I've occasionally used (amphipods they are working out shipping problems):

Dinkins Aquatic Gardens

Dinkins Aquatic Gardens

dinkinsaquaticgardens.com

And this is my phyto guy @Eldredge is awesome - I order weekly or every 2 weeks or so from below:

Fresh LIVE Phyto 8-Species Blend – FREE SHIPPING

Fresh LIVE Phyto 8-Species Blend – FREE SHIPPING Satisfaction Guaranteed - If there are any problems (including shipping) just let me know and I will make it right. Harvested fresh on Monday evening and shipped out priority mail on Tuesday. Edit: 10% DISCOUNT FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS (You choose the...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[BlueFynn_Ian]

Still wondering what to do with the extra 500ml of rotifers, can i try to culture them and keep them alive by feeding phyto?

Yup, you'll just find they consume a lot of phyto and can crash easily if not fed enough.

Similar to copepods you'll just need to keep phyto in with them and harvest a good scoop or two each day to keep the population down, I think they reproduce every 12hrs or so. So they eat a lot!

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

Word of advice don't culture rotifers next to copepods

 

[1epauletteshark]

Word of advice don't culture rotifers next to copepods

I heard, but I thought it was rotifers next to phytoplankton. Do copepods eat rotifers?

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

I heard, but I thought it was rotifers next to phytoplankton. Do copepods eat rotifers?

No . Rotifers will out compete copepods as quick as 24 hours

 

[1epauletteshark]

No . Rotifers will out compete copepods as quick as 24 hours

So not a great idea to add them both to the aquarium?

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

So not a great idea to add them both to the aquarium?

You can do that if you want . Rotifers are strictly a feed source though they won't reproduce much if any in your reef system as filtration pulls them out relatively quickly

 

[1epauletteshark]

Let’s get this going, the container on the right is phytoplankton and the left is copepods (couldn’t get my hands on tigriopus just normal copepods). The salinity for phytoplankton is 1.015 and copepods is 1.025 and I plan on dosing 2ml of T2 everyday for 2L, is this correct? The actual copepods and the phytoplankton arrive tomorrow so I want everything to be perfect. The phyto has very high aeration and the copepods only about 2.5 bubbles per second.

 

[1epauletteshark]

They arrived a day early https://youtube.com/shorts/kIYSnx_eXYw?feature=share please let me know if I am doing anything wrong

 

[1epauletteshark]

I don’t have a grow light but I heard any light is fine, is that right?

 

[1epauletteshark]

How many ml of phytoplankton should I add to my tank everyday? Its a 17 gallon with 1.25L of copepods inside

 

[1epauletteshark]

My chaeto arrived today but it is covered in 2mm big pest anemones of some type, a heap of baby bristle worms and some other unidentified things is it worth putting it in my DT?

 

[GuppyHJD]

rotifers have nothing to do with it, rotifers are used to feed newborn fish.

All pods are small, no larger than 100 microns. Tiggers are the largest and reproduce the fastest, tisbe and apocyclops are other good choices, smaller, and reproduce slower. Don't judge by the size, size doesn't matter in this case.

You can turn off your machines if you want when you add the copepods, to give them a chance to hide before being eaten. I don't turn things off anymore, I just add them.

You need a type of grow light for phyto (a pure white light won't work), even a cheap $20 plant grow light will work. If you don't have one, you can put your culture in the window in direct sun path, that works too.

I just add a little phyto every few days to my tank. There are no rules in this hobby, don't worry about exact timelines and exact percentages, you can't overdose pods or phyto. Some people never add pods or phyto, some add it often,some add it infrequently, you will find a way that works for your tank.

There are lots of videos on youtube for culturing both phyto and pods, check out a few of them to get different idea's from different people, there's always more than one way.

Lots of the videos show white lights?